Support for rocker-shafts and the like



B, V. NORDBERG.

SUPPRT FOR ROCKER SHAFTS AND THE LIKE.

.APPLICATION msn JUNE 1, 1920.

1 ,397,598, Patented NOV.- 22, 1921i.

@11 y Mm y UNIT En :BRUNOi V. NORDBERG, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

applicati@ mea June 1,

To all. 'whom t may concern Be it known that I, BnUNo V. Nonnnno, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lisconsin, havev invented certain new and useful Improvements in 4Supports for Rocker-Shafts,` and the like, of which the following vis a specification.

This invention pertains to an improved* means for supporting engine rock shafts.

In connection with engine governors, throttle valve operating mechanism, and similar devices, shafts vof considerable length are often required. Such shafts under ordinary conditions have to transmit a relatively small torque, but, notwithstanding such fact they have to be made relatively large in order to reduce to a minimum their tendency to defiect or twist., It is generally required that the friction of the bean ings for such shaft be reduced to an absolute minimum; and this is particularly the case with rock shafts of a governing mechanism. The shaft as i5 well understood is used to transmit the motion of the governor to the cut-off gear, throttle valve, or any other means of controlling the flow of the medium in whichis stored the energy that operates the engine. The governor may be located near the centerV of such rock shaft or at one end of the same.

Ordinary bearings for supporting shafts of large diameter are objectionable as such bearings produce friction in direct proportion to the diameter of the bearing. Gften it is convenient to support a bearing in the ordinary way by pedestals and the like, the shafts of necessity being located some distance from any placeaffording a firm support. Y

The main object of the present invention is to provide such a support for a rock shaft that its bearings will produce a minimum of friction and to maintain the rigidity of thel shaft against twisting or torsional strains when the shaft is moved about its axis.

Two embodiments are illustrated in the y annexed drawings wherein:

Figure l is a sectional elevation of one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, a portion only of the shaft being shown and broken away in part to illustrate one of the end bearings for the shaft.

SUPPORT FOR-ROCKER-SHAFTS AND THE LIKE.

Specification ofLetters Paten-t.` Patente dy Novg22, 1:9221.

1920. serial No; 385,496.

F ig. 3 a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l'.

Fig. a similar viewl on the line 1 -4, and

Fig. 5 a sectional elevation showing a further embodiment or arrangement 4of the structure.

Referring first to Figs. l to 4 inclusive',Y denotes the rocker shaft which is moved" by suitable connections (not shown) sayfor instance byV aV governor, and. which in turn" transmits such motion to a suitable valve gear, throttle vor cut-off device (not shown)` as is well understood. i

The shaft aty each `end`is provided with a suitable bearing, one which is preferably small and consequently presents little frictional bearing surface. In Fig. 2 the bearing takes the form of a small pint'le 2 extending` outwardly from a block 3 secured in the end of the shaft (there being' of course one at each end of the shaft) the pintleiind` ing itg bearing in a fixed support 4.

Rigidly affixed to shaft 1 is a sleeve or collar formed with laterally projecting arms 6 and 7, said sleeve and arms forming in effectA a two arm lever, the fulcrum" of which is coincident with the aXis of shaft l. AV link 8 is pivotally connected to arm `6 and a similar link 9 is likewise connected to arm 7 Said links at their lower ends are' respectively pivoted to the outer` ends of a rocker lever 10 fulcrumed upon a shaftll mounted in a xed standard 12, the arms of said lever being equal. in length to the arms 6 and 7 when measured from their points of fulcrum to their points of attachment to the links 8 and 9.

EL radius bar 18 is pivoted to theupper end of the standard 12 said link lying parallel to the upper and lower double arm leversrand being pivotally connected to one of the vlinks 8 or 9 in the instant case to 9. Said bar is equal in length to the correeoA spending: arm of lever 10 and consequently posed links 8 and 9 produce a parallelogram, the corresponding parallel elementsV of f which are maintained in such yrelation V.by

Y by the position of the levers and links.

The arrangement so far described isused where a rigid support can be had only in one direction from the shaft and while shown as vertically arranged it could aswell be horim zontal.

`If rigid supports for the suspensionfdevice ofthe shaft may be had in two directions an arrangement such as shown inF 5 will beemployed.

In this instance the shaft 1 is provided with double arm levers 14: and 15 to each of which is pivotally connected a vpair of links or bars 16, 17 and 18, 19, respectively, the links of' each pair being in parallelism.

Links 16 and 17 are pvotally connected at their opposite'ends to the ends of a lever 2O fulcrumed at its mid-length upon av fixed support 21, while links 18 and 19 arelikewise connected to a lever 22 fulcrumed at its mid-length to a fixed support 28. Each pair of links andV their connected levers form parallelograms which vby reason of Vtheir standing at an angle to each other serve to maintain theaxis of the shaft in a fixed position. L One of said parallelograms becomes in eect the equivalent of the radius bar 13 of the irstdescribed constructionas they both have the same effect in the end, namely, preventing a lateral displacement of the .sustaining` parallelogram arrangement of links and levers with a consequent shifting of the shaftsaxis out of its fixed position.

lVhile the fixed supports 21 and 23 'are shown as standing at right angles it is manifest that this is not absolutely necessary to the proper workingA of the'structure.

Having` thus described my invention what I claim is: Y

1. In combination with a shaft. supported at its ends for oscillation about its axis, of rocking means, independent of such end supports, located intermediate the ends of the shaft and extending outwardly in opposite directions from the shaft for. sustaining the shaft against Vflexure or twisting when the shaft is actuated.

2. In combination with a shaft supported at its ends for oscillation vabout itswaxis, means connected to the shaft intermediate such end siipports `for Isustainingig.the shaft against twisting or flexure, said meansicoia.

prising a pair of` links and a pair of levers pivotally connected to ea cli other inthe form of a parallelogram,one of said levers vhavshaft and having its fulcrum point coincident with the axis of the shaft, said levers being of equal length and arranged parallel toV each other; and a pair of connected tothe levers. Y Y

4. In combination with a shaft supported at its ends for oscillation about its axis; av

xed element located to one side of the shaft and spacedtherefrom; aV lever fulcrumed at its center to said-element; a second lever of equal length fixed to the shaft its fulcrum point being coincident with the axis of the shaft, said levers lying in parallelism; links pivotally'V connected to the corresponding ends 4ofthe opposite levers; and a radius bar p'ivoted to the fixed elementat one end and at its opposite' end to one of the links.

5. In combination with a shaftJ supported at its ends for oscillation about its axis; a fixed element located to one side of the'shaft and spaced therefrom; means for preventing links pivotally defiection of the shaft, said means comprisinga pair of spacedv levers, one .fulcrumed upon the-supporting element and the other fixed to the shaft and movable therewith, and a pair of linkspi'votally connected to the opposed ends of the levers, the links and levers forming in effect a parallelogram; and means for maintaining the elements in parallelogram relation when moved upon oscillation of the shaft.V V 1 Y 6. In combination with a shaft; a pintle like support for each end of the shaft; and a plurality of parallelogram like supporting members for the shaft, each member comprising lever secured to the shaft, the fulcrum whereof is coincident with the axis of the shaft, a second lever fulcrumedV at its center upon al xed element located to one side of the shaft, and a pair of parallel links pivotally connected to the opposite ends of the levers in pairs. l

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

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